NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication.

Changes resulting from the publishing

process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be
reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive
version was subsequently published in Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 20, (1997), pp.
1005-1014